Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta today urged the executing agencies to complete different road projects including national highways on set timelines.
While reviewing the status of different road projects including national highways being laid out here in the UT, CS urged the executing agencies to enshrine it as their goal to deliver all these projects on set timelines, an official spokesman said.
The CS asked them that the erecting of crash barriers, sign boards, parapets on National Highways for the safety of travelers should be done before 15th of this month and also advised the district administration to look into the availability of utilities like eateries, washrooms, etc on the National Highways for enjoyable ride over them, said the spokesman..
.The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, PWD; Divisional Commissioners; Commissioner Secretary, Forest; Commissioner Secretary Revenue; Secretary, PD&MD; Deputy Commissioners; MD, KPDCL; Chief Engineers of PWD, Jal Shakti, PDD; Representatives of BRO, NHIDCL and other officers of the concerned Departments, said the spokesman.
Dr Mehta enquired about the status of five tunnels (T1-T5) being constructed on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and asked the concerned to expedite the work on these tunnels so that all of them are timely dedicated to public, the spokesman said.
The CS also directed for minimizing the waiting time at toll plazas by opening all the lanes for vehicles and using updated RFID readers over there. He made it clear to all the DCs that there should be least traffic disruptions on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway with focus on clearing the route within an hour or two, the spokesman said.
Regarding the availability of material for construction of new roads the Chief Secretary asked the concerned departments to provide online permissions for mining of minerals besides exploring the possibility of allowing them to transport the same beyond daylight hours.
The spokesman said that CS directed the departments of PDD and Jal Shakti to immediately shift their utilities wherever required so that both the construction and providing of services to general public do not get affected. He also reiterated that the land acquisition process needs to be completed at an earliest.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the status of roads like Jammu, Srinagar semi-ring road projects, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Highway, Shopian-Qazigund Bypass, Kathua-Basholi-BaniRoad, Srinagar-Sonamarg Road, Z-Morh tunnel project, Chenani-Sudhmahadev Road, Akhnoor-Poonch Road, Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri Road and many other internal city roads in Jammu and Srinagar cities, added the spokesman.
Meanwhile the CS also took stock of the establishment of two new medical colleges here at Udhampur and Handwara (Kupwara).
Stressing that the medical colleges are going to cater to the needs of people living in far flung areas, need to be established sooner. He advised the indenting department to make the designs of these hospitals as per the guidelines of Medical Council of India (MCI), the spokesman said.
He said that Dr Mehta impressed upon the Health and Medical Education Department to work for starting of classes in these colleges from the next academic session and explore the option of hiring the necessary infrastructure for starting the class work near the respective district hospitals.
The Chief Secretary directed the executing agencies to complete all the formalities for tendering out the civil works in next two months. He also advised the department to simultaneously initiate the process for procurement of medical equipments for these colleges simultaneously so that there is efficient utilization of available time, said the spokesman.
The meeting was informed that both these colleges are established here under phase III of Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI. It was revealed that an amount of Rs 325 crores are estimated to be spent on each of this college, said the spokesman.
The spokesman further said that on construction of administrative and Academic Block of the college an amount of Rs 115 Crore is earmarked. Similarly on Hostels an amount of Rs 80 Crore, 60 Crore on upgradation of associated hospital and Rs 70 Crore on the procurement of machinery and equipment for each college is scheduled to be spent.
The colleges would have an intake capacity of 100 MBBS seats each and would enhance the total MBBS seats substantially in the UT of J&K. Around 1612 posts of faculty, doctors, paramedics, administrative staff and others have been created by the department as per the norms of National Medical Commission for these twin colleges, the meeting was informed.
The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, PWD; Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education; Principal GMC, Srinagar; Chief Engineers of PWD and other officers of the concerned Departments, the spokesman said.
